New Zealand produced a dominant performance against India in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Friday. While the hosts registered a massive 244-run victory, one of the most memorable moments came after the match, away from the spotlight of the cricket field.
Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli displayed a wonderful gesture of sportsmanship by gifting New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry a signed jersey. The gesture came in recognition of Henry’s outstanding bowling display, which played a decisive role in dismantling India’s batting line-up.
Matt Henry rattles India’s top order with sensational opening over
India faced a challenging target of 334 runs but their pursuit got off to a disastrous start, thanks to Henry’s remarkable new-ball spell. The experienced pacer immediately put the visitors under pressure by picking up three wickets in the opening over without conceding a run.
Henry began by dismissing Rohit Sharma on the first delivery, with the Indian opener edging the ball towards the slip cordon. The New Zealand pacer then produced a brilliant delivery to get rid of Kohli, who was bowled for a four-ball duck. Henry maintained the pressure until the final delivery of the over, trapping stand-in skipper Shreyas Iyer LBW. As a result, India slumped to 0/3, marking the first instance in their ODI history of losing their first three wickets without scoring a run.
Notably, New Zealand had earlier put 333 runs on the board, with Will Young leading the batting effort through an impressive 125-run knock. Tim Seifert also made a valuable contribution, scoring 58 to help the home side establish a commanding position.
Henry continued his impressive work after the opening burst, returning to pick up more wickets and finish with career-best ODI figures of 6/27 from 9.4 overs. India struggled to find any meaningful momentum during the chase. Ishan Kishan (27), Axar Patel (21) and Naman Dhir (21) offered some resistance, but the rest of the batting order failed to make a significant contribution.
The visitors were eventually bowled out for just 89 in 26.4 overs, suffering a 244-run defeat. It was India’s second-biggest loss by runs in ODI cricket and their heaviest defeat of the 21st century.
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Virat Kohli’s gesture earns admiration after India’s defeat
Despite being among Henry’s early victims, Kohli made sure to acknowledge the New Zealand pacer’s exceptional performance after the contest. A video shared by the official Blackcaps social media accounts captured the interaction between the two cricketers outside the dressing-room area. Kohli was seen exchanging smiles and a handshake with Henry before presenting him with a signed jersey.
The two players also shared a brief conversation about the conditions during the match. They discussed how the pitch had become quicker under the lights, while Kohli jokingly mentioned the setting sun affecting his vision during the opening over.
Kohli’s gesture highlighted the mutual respect shared between international cricketers. Even after enduring a disappointing individual outing and a heavy team defeat, the Indian star took the opportunity to appreciate an outstanding bowling performance.
Here’s the video:
Virat Kohli’s special gesture for Matt Henry after the 4th ODI 🥰#NZvsIND @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/1Ea8kM84Dq
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) November 14, 2026
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